The World Does Not Revolve Around You
Pastor Rick Warren
In His famous "Sermon on the Mount," Jesus offered a handful of pithy sayings today known as the "Beatitudes"-a phrase that comes from a Latin word for "happy" or "blessed." In other words, the eight "beatitudes" Jesus gives are the "prescription" for a "happy" or "blessed" life. In essence, they are the attributes Jesus has and the attributes His follower seek to develop.
The first of the eight beatitudes encourages us to be "poor in spirit," which seems like an odd thing to command. To be "poor" usually means to be "without." But to be "without" what? The Spirit? No, the Greek indicates that what the Lord is saying here is that you'll be "blessed" or "happy" if you're "poor in pride" or, in other words, if you're "devoid of pride." As one early Christian Father explained: "What does it mean that theirs is the kingdom of heaven?... Even as the road to hell is lined with all the vices, and especially pride, all the virtues lead toward the kingdom of heaven, and especially humility. For the root of all evil is pride, and the root of all good is humility." Thus, Jesus starts His Sermon on the Mount and His list of beatitudes with this: "You do want to go to heaven? Do you want to feel blessed or happy? Then shun pride because, in doing so, all good things will flow therefrom."
In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking to the Israelites at a time of great despair. They were exiled, living in Babylon, far from their homeland. Jeremiah's words were meant to offer hope and assurance during this period of upheaval. His message was not just for their immediate comfort but also to give them a perspective of a hopeful future planned by God.
This passage in Jeremiah speaks directly to the heart of encouragement, especially in the face of uncertainty and difficulty. It's a reminder that even when our current circumstances seem bleak or disheartening, there is a broader plan for good, for hope, and for a future. This can be particularly resonant for us when we face our own periods of doubt or when our path seems unclear. It's a call to trust in a greater plan that we might not fully understand yet.